I found this site today and am glad. I had a biopsy on my tongue last Thursday. I had a sore on my tongue that had been there for about 8 months. When I had another one pop up over the previous weekend I decided to have it checked out. The ENT looked at it and said it could be from trauma, but he wanted to take a biopsy anyways. After giving me a shot of the local, he got straight to it. Told me I was a brave soul (I guess because right after the shot I told him to go). I didn't know he was waiting for me to acknowledge that the local had kicked in. None the less after slicing with the scalpel he pulled out the scissors to cut the flap off. Something about the scissors made me queazy (didnt hurt) and I began having a panic attack (cold sweats, light headedness, dizzy, and felt like I was going to pass out). The ENT had a medical word for it, but I called it a panic attack. Anyhow after he got the sutures in and my panic attack calmed down I was out of the office.
Here it is a week later and I am due to go back tomorrow to find out the results. I hope it isn't cancerous, but I would be lying if I said I haven't been worried about it this entire time. I am a smoker and am in the process of kicking the habit. Its tough to do, but its the only way. I've been a pack-a-day smoker for 15 years, and it took me this long to realize that it was time for me to quit.
Anyhow, my question is this. What types of symptoms are usually noticed for cancers of the tongue/mouth? Is it just the sores? Or is it accompanied by other items? My only real symptom is that of a sore that overstayed its welcome for 8 months, and another one that popped up right next to the other. It was white in color and was very tender, but it started off as (seemingly) a sore/swollen tasted bud.
If you've read this far, thanks. I know it is a wall of text, but sometimes it is good to get things like this off of your chest. I don't have any friends/family where I live, so its just me, with no outlet, thinking of the worse possible outcome.
Welcome to OCF, Chuck! Im hoping that your biopsy turns out to be negative. There are many different symptoms for oral cancer. Some patients experience no symptoms at all which is why so many are diagnosed when it is Stage IV. The only way to tell for sure is to a sore biopsied which you have already done. Please come back and let us know the results.
Chuck,
Bascially my lesion was small to begin with and spread within a couple of months. It was sore, white on top and red underneath. If I ate anything spicy it would bring tears. It also started to bleed before the biopsy.
I had the surgery and my lymph nodes removed as a precaution, my decison to have the lymph nodes removed. If I didn't I didn't want to sit here thinking what if......
I'm glad you found this site hopefully everything turns out in your favor. The people on here have a wealth of information we've been there.
Hope all goes well for you. Take care.
Connie
Hi there welcome and hope your news is good! I had my tumor for much longer than Connie in fact my problem started 5 years ago. It was sensitive and sore and got worse over time - but very slowly. I first went to see my dr. 18 months later (I thought it was a food allergy) my first biopsy came back inflamed tissue - so I breathed a sigh of relief and then set about trying to figure out a cause - it had gotten worse over the last two years progressively so since august of last year. I went to the dr. He sent me for another biopsy and it came back positive, so basically it was just painful. And never healed though it did seem to feel better at times.
I'm not a smoker. Though I know it's a precursor for this kind of cancer. Even if your biopsy comes back negative - keep an eye on it and be persistent if it doesn't heal.
I too had surgery - and radiation. And chemo. Have been done 3 weeks.
Good luck and take care.
So it looks like it ranges from spreading lesions, to individual lesions that just don't heal (among many others). That was the main thing that has given me so much worry is the fact that this sore was here for so long and just never healed. I admit that when it felt like a "swolen taste bud" that I would bite at it with my teeth as I have had them before and they seemed to go away. This one was obviously different. I made an honest effort to not bother it so it would heal and it just would not heal.
Anyhow I go today in the afternoon to see the results. I am hoping for the best. I thank you who posted support. It means a lot to someone who is a mess with worry. I am due to visit my family back home this memorial day weekend and I am hoping that I can just bring a few gifts and not any bad news. Not even sure I'd tell them right away if it were bad. I think I would enjoy the visit with them and handle the news portion later.
Last night I was checking on my sutures and noticed I have a raised area in the back of my tongue...way back there. It appeared to be swollen with a bit of white on the top. I couldn't tell if the white was food or part of the tongue as I couldn't get a good look that far back. I'll have to mention it to my ENT.
I think the waiting is probably the hardest part as it just does a number on ones nerves.
I want to say that everyone here is a hero to share their experience and support with others who are in a bad spot whether it be waiting on a diagnosis or hoping for remission. You all are an invaluable part of humanity and I am greatful to have found this forum. Negative or positive, I will definitely continue to show my support for this site and its people.
The waiting really is hard. I hope that you get good news today. Either way, you will find a lot of support here. I'll be thinking of you today.
Thanks Tracy! That means a lot to me.
Results are in.
Right anterior tongue:
Squamous Mucosa with Acanthosis and Parakeratosis. Negative for Dysplasia.
Im told this means that it is benign which is fantastic. The ENT did notice the bump in the back of the tongue but decided that we should monitor it for a week or 2. If it changes, grows or becomes irritated then I will probably have to get it biopsied too. But for now a sigh of relief.
Thanks for the outstanding support! I hate that there is a need for this forum, but I am sure glad it is here!!!
Chuck, couldn't be more pleased for you. Whew!
Great news - Enjoy!! I hope you keep a very vigilant eye on things and act if/when you think something isn't right. We are all always thrilled to hear good news. Hopefully at a minimum you can pass on to family and friends (its okay - go ahead - be boring) all the info you have learned about oral cancer.
Hugs
Donna
Goody, goody, goody, Chuck! Big Smile.
julieann